Lab Hygiene Plan- Applicable to all labs in South Classroom Science Building and Coykendall Science Building.

New in 2013: GHS is being used in the U.S. to identify chemical hazards. You will see new labels, pictograms and Safety Data Sheets SDS (formerly Material Safety Data Sheets or MSDS)

Global Harmonization and Lab standard in 2013

GHS 2014 Update to Lab Standard

A short introduction to GHS:

What is the Globally Harmonized System (GHS)?

GHS stands for the "Globally Harmonized System of Classification and Labeling of Chemicals." GHS is a system that defines and classifies the hazards of chemical products, and communicates health and safety information on labels and material safety data sheets (called Safety Data Sheets, or SDSs, in GHS). The goal is that the same set of rules for classifying hazards, and the same format and content for labels and safety data sheets (SDS), will be adopted and used around the world. An international team of hazard communication experts developed GHS.

Why is global harmonization necessary?

Currently many different countries have different systems for classification and labeling of chemical products. In addition, several different systems can exist even within the same country. This situation has been expensive for governments to regulate and enforce, costly for companies who have to comply with many different systems, and confusing for workers who need to understand the hazards of a chemical in order to work safely.

GHS promises to deliver several distinct benefits. Among them are:

Promoting regulatory efficiency

Facilitating trade

Easing compliance

Reducing costs

Providing improved, consistent hazard information

Encouraging the safe transport, handling and use of chemicals

Promoting better emergency response to chemical incidents

Reducing the need for animal testing

What is the scope of GHS?

The GHS system covers all hazardous chemicals and may be adopted to cover chemicals in the workplace, transport, consumer products, pesticides and pharmaceuticals. The target audiences for GHS include workers, transport workers, emergency responders and consumers.

What are the two major elements of GHS?

1. Classification of the hazards of chemicals according to the GHS rules:

GHS provides guidance on classifying pure chemicals and mixtures according to its criteria or rules.

2. Communication of the hazards and precautionary information using Safety Data Sheets and labels:

Labels - With the GHS system, certain information will appear on the label. For example, the chemical identity may be required. Standardized hazard statements, signal words and symbols will appear on the label according to the classification of that chemical or mixture. Precautionary statements may also be required, if adopted by your regulatory authority.

Safety Data Sheets (SDS) - The GHS SDS has 16 sections in a set order, and information requirements are prescribed.

What are some key terms in the GHS Vocabulary?

1. SDS (Safety Data Sheet)

SDS is the term used by GHS for Material Safety Data Sheet (MSDS).

Hazard group - While not given a formal definition, GHS divides hazards into three major groups - health, physical and environmental.Class - Class is the term used to describe the different hazards. For example, "Gases under Pressure" is an example of a class in the physical hazards group.

2. Category

Category is the name used to describe the sub-sections of classes. For example, Self-Reactive Chemicals have seven categories. Each category has rules or criteria to determine what chemicals are assigned to that category.

3. Hazard Statement

For each category of a class, a standardized statement is used to describe the hazard. For example, the hazard statement for chemicals which meet the criteria for the self-heating substances and mixtures class, Category 1 is "Self-heating; may catch fire." This hazard statement would appear both on the label and on the SDS.

4. Signal Word

There are two signal words in the GHS system: "Danger" and "Warning." These signal words are used to communicate the level of hazard on both the label and the SDS. The appropriate signal word to use is set out by the classification system. For example, the signal word for self-heating substances and mixtures, Category 1, is "Danger," while "Warning" is used for the less serious Category 2. There are categories where no signal word is used.

5. Pictogram

Pictogram refers to the GHS symbol on the label and SDS. Not all categories have a symbol associated with them.

What is meant by the GHS hazard groupings and "building block" concept?

Within the GHS classification system, there are three major hazard groups:

Physical hazards

Health hazards

Environmental hazards

Within each of these hazard groups there are "classes" and "categories." Each of these parts is called a "building block." Each country can determine which building blocks of the GHS system it will use in their different sectors (workplace, transportation, consumers). Once the building blocks are chosen, the corresponding GHS rules for classification and labels must be used.

What are the classes within the health hazard group?

Criteria for classifying chemicals have been developed for the following health hazard classes:

Criteria for classifying chemicals have been developed for the following environmental hazard class:

hazardous to the aquatic environment (acute and chronic)

hazardous to the ozone layer

In addition, there are specific classification rules for chemical mixtures for each environmental hazard class.

Safety Data Sheets (SDSs)

SDSs will use a 16-section format. There will be standardized information requirements for each section. The nine-section WHMIS format for MSDSs will no longer be acceptable. Another important change to note is that the product classification and some of the label information will probably be required on the SDS. The SDS updating requirements (every three years) will likely be required.

Supplier labels

Label requirements will also change, and will probably have a few new requirements. Labels will use new pictograms, as well as a signal word, "Warning" or "Danger."

Classification

How chemicals are classified will be affected:

Adopt all of the major GHS health and physical hazard classes including aspiration hazard and specific target organ toxicity-single exposure. Some sub-categories in GHS may not be adopted. It is unlikely that the environmental hazard classes will be adopted under WHMIS (but this does not exclude that it may be adopted by another government department). Continue to include some hazards that are currently not in the GHS system, but are present in the current WHMIS system - such as biohazardous materials.Have more specific names for its hazard classes.Combine two WHMIS classes (teratogenicity/embryotoxicity and reproductive toxicity) into one new GHS hazard class called reproductive toxicity